DCU Comic Book Reviews

THE ALL NEW ATOM #25

Inside-Out, Chapter 5:  Time

September 2008

Written by Rick Remender

Pencils by Pat Olliffe

Inks by John Stanisci

Cover by Ladrönn

Synopsis

Now, Ryan Choi (aka the Atom) comes face-to-face with Ray Palmer, the original Atom.  Ray offers to help Ryan save his friends, who have been trapped in another dimension created by Ryan’s connection to the Atom’s powers.  With Ray’s help, Ryan is able to find his friends, but also encounters Matt, who blames Ryan for everything that has gone wrong.  Matt has also changed into one of the creatures inhabiting the dimension world.  Just as Ray brings everyone back, Matt charges Ryan and the duo come back together.  Matt continues to attack Ryan.  Panda comes to his friend’s rescue, but Matt kills him.  Ryan manages to destroy Matt.  Weeks later, Panda’s wife Amanda gives birth to their child.  Meanwhile, Ray suggests that Ryan take some time off, but Ryan disagrees.  He is the Atom and he has work to do. 

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

This issue felt rushed, no doubt because the book has been canceled and Remender was doing whatever he could to wrap up or tie up all of the loose ends.  The short sequence at the end with the Chronoses (or Chronosi?) really had nothing to do with the main plot; it felt tacked on to provide some closure to the series and to provide an ominous warning to Ray for disappearing for so long.  Even the death of Panda seemed forced, more of a plot point that needed to be hit rather than growing organically out of the story.  But then I got the feeling that Ray’s return to the blood world was rushed as well.  Panda mentions years had gone by, and his look is radically different from last time, that I suspect Remender had more going on that meets the eye, but was forced to ignore it all just to get back to New Earth. 

One thing that I noticed is that Lady Chronos was revealed to be Jia in an offhand manner, almost secondary to revealing the identity of Dwarf Star.  Both pieces of information, however, were done in such a way that Ryan’s reaction to learning all of this is completely bypassed.  Was he surprised?  Angry?  Hurt?  Don’t really know because we really don’t get to see it.  As I said before, the scene seemed to be more in there to warn Ray’s character than for Ryan, even though Jia and Dwarf Star are more closely connected to Ryan than Ray. 

The opening pages, with Ray demanding the belt from Ryan, made me think that Ray’s appearance was a trap and that it wasn’t really Ray.  It just seemed so weird.  Ray was very abrupt in what he was saying and very insistent about getting the belt (and Ryan was refusing just as insistently) that the scene didn’t feel right.